New Delhi: The national capital on Sunday witnessed a rare event as artists and civil society members came together to protest against rising insidents of rapes and to register opposition to death penalty through poetry, discussion and songs. Those present at the event 'Violence no more' included personalities like Shabana Azmi, Usha Uthup, Syeda Hameed and Binayak Sen.
The participants pitched for a case against the death penalty and paid tribute to late Chief Justice JS Verma who played a key role in drafting a harsh anti-rape law. "Violence against women has the tacit approval of the society all over the world. It begins right from the time a foetus begins to breathe her first," said Shabana Azmi, actor and social activist, as she recited verses from Kaifi Azmi's "Aurat", Faiz Ahmed Faiz's "Bol" and Farhan Akhtar's "Little Girl".
"It is important to understand this is not merely a women's issue but a reflection of us as a society and nation at large. And the responsibility rests with each one of us - men and women alike - to initiate change," Azmi said. Voicing resentment against the rising cases of violence against women and minors, Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed recited three poems of Pakistani poet Zehra Nigah which reflected the pain of women who suffered violence.
She pitched for a commitment from all stakeholders of society to stand up against such injustices. Human rights lawyer Colin Gonsalves opposed the death penalty, saying that it would not
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Beautiful Country, a book by Gunjan Veda and Syeda Hameed, beautifully chronicles stories from an India that is not yet on the radar of the 24x7 media. The stories from Andamans, Varanasi, rural Maharashtra, Naxals-affected Chhattisgarh, the Northeast and several other regions of the country depict the struggles and triumph of the common people despite all the odds. The simplicity of the stories touches the reader and brings out a...
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